1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tape cassette having a back lid which is freely movable forward and backward relative to a cassette shell.
2. Description of the Related Art
Followed by the high recording-density design of tape cassettes has been developed a technique in which a portion of a tape-shaped recording medium exposed from a cassette shell (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cexposed portionxe2x80x9d) is covered by a cover member called as xe2x80x9clidxe2x80x9d when the tape cassette is not used, thereby preventing dusts from adhering to the exposed portion of the tape-shaped recording medium or preventing oil or the like with touch of fingers from adhering to the exposed portion of the tape-shaped recording medium.
One type of these conventional tape cassettes is designed such that the front side of the tape-shaped recording medium is covered by a front lid while the back side thereof is covered by a back lid. According to this tape cassette, when the tape cassette is used, the front lid is upwardly rotated by substantially 90 degrees, and the back lid is substantially obliquely upwardly moved by using a cam to open the lid, that is, expose the tape-shaped recording medium to the outside.
In the conventional tape cassette described above, the back lid is substantially obliquely upwardly moved by using the cam when the lid is opened. Therefore, if the tape-shaped recording medium is slacked, there would occur such a trouble that the tape-shaped recording medium is entangled in the back lid, or it is pulled out and excessively drawn out of the cassette shell by the back lid although it is not entangled in the back lid, so that it is finally enrolled in members of a recording/reproducing apparatus such as a pinch roller, a tape guide.
The applicant of this application has owned the following three U.S. patents pertaining to this application:
1. U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,237 titled xe2x80x9cLid ASSEMBLY FOR A TAPE CASSETTE WHICH PROTECTS FRONT AND REAR SURFACES OF A MAGNETIC TAPExe2x80x9d;
2. U.S. Pat. No. 5,412,525 titled xe2x80x9cTAPE CASSETTE HAVING A ROCKABLE FINGER FOR LATCHING A SLIDABLE SHUTTERxe2x80x9d; AND
3. U.S. Pat. No. 5,502,608 titled xe2x80x9cTAPE CASSETTE HAVING A CASE WITH A MOUTH FOR MAGNETIC HEAD DRUM OF A RECORDING/REPRODUCING APPARATUSxe2x80x9d.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a tape cassette in which a tape-shaped recording medium can be prevented from being entangled in a back lid when the lid is opened.
In order to attain the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a tape cassette in which a back lid is provided so as to be freely movable forward and backward relatively to a cassette shell, and the back lid is moved just back when the lid is opened to expose the tape-shaped recording medium to the outside.
Accordingly, in the tape cassette according to the present invention, the back lid is moved back from the tape-shaped recording medium at a stretch, so that the tape-shaped recording medium can be prevented from being entangled by the back lid when the lid is opened.